Have you ever gotten a really nice, unexpected surprise?

That's how I felt when I opened the digital file for the cover of the second book in my upcoming series, Protectors at Heart. The cover artist took my hero and set him smack dab in the Adirondack Mountains and even managed to show the fire and smoke from the helicopter crash that kicks off his adventure. Heartbroken over his wife’s request for a trial separation and hoping for reunion, he has traveled to her remote location, where she is an outdoor adventure specialist. This NYC homicide detective's grand gesture goes off the rails when they take possession of secret intel and become the rabbits in a deadly game of chase through the wilderness.

They are on the run ahead of the foreign agents who will do anything to retrieve the information they carry. It's a high-action escape through the wilderness and was so much fun to write. I threw everything at this pair and really tried to tear them apart. But that was impossible, of course.

This story was exhilarating to write, and it is a fast read.

Whom did I use for Inspiration?

For this story, I chose a big man whose size, in the wilderness, would prove advantage and disadvantage, depending on the situation. For the woman, I wanted someone who looked tough enough to repell down a cliff to reach the injured pilot and rescue her husband when circumstances called for it.
For my upcoming Intrigue, Adirondack Attack, I used actors Jason Momoa (beardless) and Bethany Joy Lenz.
How do you think the art department did on the cover?